The IAGD is pleased to announce sponsorship for the following poster session being held during the 2013 American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting in San Francisco, California. We are excited to announce that this session is also being sponsored by every AGU division.

ED019. Expanding Diversity in the Geosciences by Fostering Inclusive and Accessible Educational Opportunities for Students with Disabilities

Participation in the geosciences by students and practitioners with disabilities is of the lowest rates of all of the science disciplines. Subsequently, careers in the geosciences are often disregarded by the physically disabled population. However, with enhanced technologies, opportunities for people with disabilities to complete geoscience requirements such as field-based research are becoming more prevalent, as well as the potential for pursuing careers in the geosciences. This poster session is designed to promote awareness of the need to improve access to the geosciences for all students and practicing geoscientists regardless of physical ability.

The Instructional Approaches to Access, Accommodation, and Inclusion of Students with Disabilities in the Geosciences short course will be offered at the 2013 American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting in San Francisco, California in December. Last year, this course was presented at both the International Geoscience Congress in Brisbane, Australia and the Geological Society of America in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA.

Developed to assist K-20 earth science instructors with universally designing instruction and activities for lessons, labs, and field trips. While this inclusive design targets pedagogy to accommodate students with disabilities, it ultimately benefits all students. The audience for this course ranges from graduate teaching assistants to tenured faculty, at all levels of experience; from those who have never had to modify a course, to those who have a great deal of experience working with students of various abilities. A secondary aim of this workshop is to connect instructors to a community of experienced researchers, faculty and students who have worked through the many challenges of creating access and inclusion; expanding the network of faculty and students who can share ideas, resources and curricula with the IAGD.

The course includes:

Best practices for accommodating students with disabilities

Advice on how to find resources for accommodating students

Examples of lesson plans and activities that have helped students with a variety of disabilities

An opportunity to develop accessible activities and/or lessons

Instruction and guidance from facilitators experienced in access and accommodation for students with disabilities

Course Instructors:
Dr. Chris Atchison, Georgia State University
Gina Ceylan, University of Missouri

Course Fee: $25.00

Time and Location: AGU conference venue, San Francisco, CA, to be determined.

Help expand the course offering! The IAGD is looking to create instructional teams of members interested in presenting the course regionally with a focus on K-12 earth science teachers and community college faculty. If you are interested in becoming an instructor on one of the short course teams, or regionally hosting this course at your campus, please contact [email protected].

Recently Active Members

About Us:

The IAGD is a 501c3, volunteer-driven, non-profit organization. 100% of all donations support inclusive and accessible programs for students and geoscientists with disabilities. For more information, please visit the IAGD Foundation page.

CONTACT US

Disclaimer: This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0939645. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.